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“You usually say goodbye before you leave,” I point out, wondering what it would be like to come home to a woman like her. Did her ex wait up for her after these long shifts? Did he appreciate her? Satisfy her needs? I’ll bet it wouldn’t take much, she seems the grateful kind.
“Well, aren’t you just the neediest patient on ward B?” she teases as she comes toward the bed.
“You intrigue me.” I allow her my thoughts. Her likeness to Carly seems to become more prominent each day, if she just cut her hair a little shorter it would be uncanny.
“Iintrigueyou?” She giggles, placing her tote on the foot of the bed and sitting on the edge. “You’re the man who can’t remember how he ended up here.” She looks into my eyes curiously, with that flirty, little smile beaming on her face.
“You were quieter than usual today. What’s been troublin’ ya?” I ask, taking a risk and letting my fingers touch over hers. She doesn’t flinch, in fact, she doesn’t even seem to notice, instead, she drops her guard and lets the sadness glaze over the brightness in her eyes.
“Am I that transparent?” She shakes her head and looks up at the ceiling to stop me from seeing the tears that form. Fuck, they look good on her, so good that it makes me crave more of ‘em.
“I got this yesterday.” She reaches into her bag and pulls out an envelope, and when she hands it over to me I waste no time taking out the letter that’s inside and scanning over it.
“He wants everything, the house, all we had saved… that cheating bastard wants to take my home.” Her voice cracks as she laughs a bitter laugh. As she wipes the tears from her eyes I stealthy slide the empty envelope, with her address on, under the bed sheet.
“He cheated on you?” I slide my hand over her arm to comfort her.
“Yeah, spineless asshole didn’t even have the nerve to tell me to my face. I came home from work a few months ago and he was gone. All I had was a lousy apology letter. I’ve not been able to track him down, not heard from him in months, and yesterday I got this.” She snatches the letter from my hand and shoves it back in her bag.
“You don’t need to hear all this. I don’t even know why I… I should get going.” She shakes her head.
“No.” I cling to her wrist to stop her from leaving. “I like that you told me.” Her pulse is throbbing against my fingertips, stirring arousal inside me, the feral kind that I know from experience goes far beyond dangerous.
“I haven’t told anyone here. I’m too ashamed.” She laughs, closing her eyes and squeezing out more tears.
“He’s the one who should be ashamed.” I release her from my grip.
“Who are you, Michael Fender?” When she opens her eyes back up, they glisten with hope, and it brings back a pain that I haven’t felt in a while. One that, if left to shimmer, can turn into something fatal…
“There that should heal nicely.” Carly wraps a bandage around the bullet wound she’s just stitched up on my right bicep. “I’m sure when my mom taught me to sew, she didn’t expect me to use it to patch up bikers.” She smiles, taking the bowl and everything she’s used over to the sink and tidying it away.
It’s real hard to try and hate something so beautiful. Even harder when that beautiful person is so damn sweet. But Carly has become a permanent fixture around here and I’d rather hate than hurt.
“You know, I was thinking about what happened with Mary-Ann—”
“Ain’t nothin’ ever gonna happen to you, like that.” I stop her right there. I may be a bad man, but there is no one on this planet that I would ever let hurt her. My selfish cunt brother undid all the good I intended when I left her alone. He brought her into this life and what happened to Prez’s wife a few days ago was not just a solution to my problem, it was supposed to be a damn wake-up call for Skid too.
Anyone who says a man will get his dick wet anywhere had clearly never met Mary-Ann Carson. The bitch was intolerable, always talkin’ about herself, bleedin’ the fuckin’ life outta Prez just because he knocked her up sixteen years ago.
I had no idea when the Bastards sent me here to get information that I was part of a long-time fuckin’ plan. Screwing Mary-Ann was part of my strategy, I learned real quick that she knew nothing. She kept herself, and that kid of hers, away from club life because she thought she was better than it. But once I’d dipped, I got myself stuck in the fuckin’ honey.
I tried to pull away, but she threatened to tell Prez. I couldn’t let that happen, not after the time and effort I’d already built to make good with the Bastards. So, I used that skill of mine that’s always got me through… manipulation. I reported back to the Bastards that Jimmer Carson was planning on taking down their club’s biggest earner.
The Bastards have three whore houses in Fountain, and I made up a detailed plot that went against The Souls ‘no women, no children’ moral. It pissed Clunk off enough to take some serious action. The intent was to kill Hayley too that night, but the prospect who can do no fuckin’ wrong in Prez’s eyes came through and saved her.
“Did you even hear me?” Carly giggles as she takes a seat back beside me. I always get lost in thought when I’m around her, wondering how things might have been different if I had told her how I felt.
“No, I was just thinkin’ bout Mary-Ann.” I lower my head like I got a fuckin’ prayer for the bitch.
“I know the whole club is shaken. Some are talkin’ about movin’ Charters.”
“And you?” I look at her with a frown.
“This is Skid’s home, he loves everyone here. My family is close. I feel safe here, I know Skid would never let anything happen to me.” Her words inject venom into my already-polluted bloodstream. How can she think that when he was the one who brought her here?
“How many died today?” she asks, referring to the Bastards whose compound we stormed in retaliation for what they did to Mary-Ann. Another smart move by me. I knew exactly how the Souls would react to the death of their leader’s wife. I gave Clunk the tip-off about it just a little too late, fully aware that he was safe and over a hundred miles away fixing a deal. The Bastards got raided, their numbers lessened, and I figure that now I will finally become needed by the club where I belong. I like to think I can make most things work to my advantage. Something had to be done about the Mary-Ann holding my dick in a vice situation.
“I know Skid won’t tell me.” Carly brings me back to the conversation we’re having. “He still tries to shelter me from the things that he does.” She sounds a little hurt. Poor little Carly whose bad-ass boyfriend don’t wanna tell her ‘bout the shit he does.
